Cristina Campos, who says she is exposing the “enormous difficulties” of an entire sector “unprotected and forgotten” by the Government, emphasises that the professionals in the area are “highly specialised and with years of experience”.

"In order to guarantee the indispensable permanence of these highly specialised professionals and with many years of experience, we need a salary subsidy for all those in the sewing workshop area for the pandemic period", he asked.

The businesswoman recalls that these employees have been “absolutely paralysed” since 16 March, the time of the first curfew in Portugal. And with the second wave, there are no plans to have weddings before the summer of 2021, she added.

"Without support, we will be forced to dismiss the employees and close the activity", she laments.

Stressing that this industry in Portugal accounts, on average, €800 million a year and realising that nothing and nobody was prepared for this pandemic, Cristina Campos calls for "more attention" for a sector "heavily penalised and desperate".

By the end of the year, more than 80 percent of planned weddings will be cancelled, in addition to all communions having been cancelled, she said.